Microsoft’s press release, verbatim:
Microsoft Corp. today announced at 2011 International CES that the next version of Windows will support System on a Chip (SoC) architectures, including ARM-based systems from partners NVIDIA Corp., Qualcomm Inc. and Texas Instruments Inc. On the x86 architecture, Intel Corporation and AMD continue their work on low-power SoC designs that fully support Windows, including support for native x86 applications. SoC architectures will fuel significant innovation across the hardware spectrum when coupled with the depth and breadth of the Windows platform.
At today’s announcement, Microsoft demonstrated the next version of Windows running on new SoC platforms from Intel running on x86 architecture and from NVIDIA, Qualcomm and Texas Instruments on ARM architecture. The technology demonstration included Windows client support across a range of scenarios, such as hardware-accelerated graphics and media playback, hardware-accelerated Web browsing with the latest Microsoft Internet Explorer, USB device support, printing and other features customers have come to expect from their computing experience. Microsoft Office running natively on ARM was also shown as a demonstration of the potential of Windows platform capabilities on ARM architecture.
Windows will continue its industry-leading support across the widest possible set of devices, delivering the breadth and choice that customers demand. Intel and AMD continue to evolve and improve the x86 platforms, including new low-power systems, and advance new designs such as the recently announced 2nd Generation Intel Core processor family and AMD’s Fusion accelerated processing units (APUs). NVIDIA, Qualcomm and Texas Instruments are joining Microsoft to provide ARM-based designs for the first time.
“With today’s announcement, we’re showing the flexibility and resiliency of Windows through the power of software and a commitment to world-class engineering. We continue to evolve Windows to deliver the functionality customers demand across the widest variety of hardware platforms and form factors,” said Steven Sinofsky, president of the Windows and Windows Live Division at Microsoft.
SoC architectures consolidate the major components of a computing device onto a single package of silicon. This consolidation enables smaller, thinner devices while reducing the amount of power required for the device, increasing battery life and making possible always-on and always-connected functionality. With support of SoC in the next version of the Windows client, Microsoft is enabling industry partners to design and deliver the widest range of hardware ever.
Source: Microsoft Corp.
So, Windows will continue to remain unchanged as the legacy OS yup know and love no matter how advanced your hardware is? I like that strategy a lot!
The success of this depends on how well they manage the binary delivery process: the great thing about Apple’s migration from PPC to Intel was the Universal Binary packaging and the Rosetta layer.
The last time MSFT tried to support multiple architectures (around the time of NT4), none of the app developers bothered to support the MIPS architecture and ultimately it died a death.
Glad I’m an ARMH investor.
Notice how they carefully avoid saying exactly *when* all of this vaporware will actually arrive. Same old Microsoft.
The days of what it is are gone. All people are interested in is what does it do.
If it does Windows then it’s the usual viruses, pop-ups, updates, patches.
Ask any iPad user what CPU it has, not many will know or care, but ask them what it can do and they’ll certainly show you!
Windows *might* be able to support x86 instruction set ultra low power systems within the next couple years. Microsoft has about 30 years with that platform/instruction set.
It will take much, much longer before we’ll see a viable version of Windows on the ARM platform.
People (including Microsoft) forget that Apple started with the ARM based processors way back with the Newton. Apple had over 10 years experience with ARM based systems before it introduced the iPhone and even more experionce before it introduced the iPad.
Similarly, Apple had a version of its OS running on Intel based systems for several years before announcing the switch to Intel based systems — and even then the switch was not overnight.
I expect the first viable version of Windows on an ARM platform to be at least three years from now — and maybe not for five years.
However, even then, tailored to mobiled devices, it will still be “Windows”.
Have the past 10 years not taught Microsoft anything? It’s almost comical. They have shoe-horned Windows onto tablets for a decade. This is simply a new approach to shoe-horning windows onto a tablet. Clearly people do not want Windows on a tablet. It’s astounding to me that this management team is still in place. I’m a tech guy, but I often think that I could do a better job running Microsoft. They just don’t understand the consumer space and what the average consumer wants. I love tech, but I also love not having to manage my iPad. I go home at the end of the day and do what I want to do instantly. No muss no fuss.
Thurrott was bragging on his blog about his children’s netbooks. One netbook had a virus, which subsequently infected his machine. I had to laugh…he not once put the blame where it belonged – Microsoft – but shouldered hit himself for his lack of oversight. He spent HOURS and HOURS fixing this stupid device. I can’t waste time like that anymore.
Let’s raise our collective glasses and have a toast to the likes of Thurrott and especially Ballmer. May he remain in place for as long as it takes.
-g5man (very long time lurker)
“The pain starts now!”
I can’t believe that with all the resources and talent Microsoft has under it’s roof they can’t sit down and comprehensively update their platform for the 21st century. I guess when we saw the video of their little parade around campus to celebrate something (windows 7?) that was the best they could muster in terms of focused effort.
@Steve516
In order to do that, they’ll have to get it updated for the 20th century first.
“… delivering the breadth and choice that customers demand …” – since we don’t demand anything, when will they stop making anything?
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Windows on ARM-based systems? If that ever happens, then someone is bound to try to put Windows on an iPad. What a revolting thought.
So that’s about 2015, right?
I thought the crowning comment was that although the Windows operating system would run on ARM, no applications would work without being rewritten and recompiled. Awesome.
That said, ARM multi-core processors will probably start appearing in net book computers in the next couple of years. If Microsoft didn’t have a comparable opeatin system, then they would lose yet another slice of the computer market.
Yep, this is at least two years away. Just for the OS.
By that time, MS will be completely and totally irrelevant in the mobile space and a big chunk of their PC business will be lost as people have migrated to the new mobile devices. Forever.